One injured in possible shooting incident near NSA security gate

At least one person was injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at one of the secure entry gates at the National Security Agency in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and authorities briefly closed Route 32 during the investigation.

Larry Whitley, a spokesman for Fort Meade police, said one person was injured in the incident and taken to a hospital. He said he didn't know how the person was injured or whether the person was a law enforcement officer or a civilian.

White House officials said that President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available," their statement said.

An official statement from the NSA public affairs office said, "NSA Police and local law enforcement are addressing an incident that took place this morning at one of NSA's secure vehicle entry gates.

"The situation is under control and there is no ongoing security or safety threat."

About 7:30 a.m., Anne Arundel County police said in a Twitter message that there was a "possible shooting" near NSA.

Dave Fitz, an FBI spokesman, said the agency was "aware of the incident" and its Baltimore unit was responding.

Part of Route 32 was closed in both directions near Fort Meade "due to a police investigation" but the roadway reopened just before 9 a.m. The exit to NSA remained closed.

Just after 8 a.m., NBC4 reported that from its helicopter, police "could be seen surrounding a handcuffed man who was sitting on the ground."

Nearby, the TV station said, it looked like a black SUV had crashed into a concrete barrier at one of Fort Meade's entry gates, and that bullet holes were seen in the vehicle.

Authorities asked drivers to avoid the area. Traffic in the area was mounting on several area roadways, including the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, throughout the morning rush hour.

In a Twitter message, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said it was assisting the Fort Meade fire department with "an incident at NSA." It went on, saying "no additional information is available."

In March 2015, a 27-year-old man died after the stolen SUV he was in crashed outside the NSA. Ricky S. Hall was one of two men in an SUV that police fired at as the vehicle struck a police cruiser outside the Fort Meade campus.

That incident was not believed to be linked to terrorism or a planned attack. Officials said the driver of the stolen SUV may have mistakenly taken a restricted exit to an NSA security post and ignored police orders to stop, possibly because there were drugs inside the SUV, according to officials.

Authors Information: Dana Hedgpeth is a Washington Post reporter, working in the early morning to report on traffic, crime and other local issues.